About

About ULTIMATE Brighton City Guide

ULTIMATE Brighton City Guide is an independent guide for visitors to Brighton & Hove, United Kingdom. We publish 19 curated lists: restaurants, cafés, bars & pubs, hotels, sights, arts & culture, cinema, parks, walks, shopping, health, property, developments, motoring, getting around, north of england, east of england, south of england and west of england. We cover the Lanes, the North Laine, Kemptown, Hove, the seafront and the i360, Preston Park and Seven Dials, and Shoreham and Worthing, with day trips to Lewes and Glyndebourne, the South Downs, Eastbourne, Beachy Head and the Seven Sisters, Arundel and Amberley, Chichester, and the castles of the South East.

Our editor

Jai Michael is Editor-in-Chief of the ULTIMATE City Guides. With more than 25 years in the media industry, he founded ABSOLUTE brighton and London TV, and has worked with leading luxury brands around the world.

How we choose

Every place in our lists has been checked against its own website or an official source such as Brighton & Hove Museums, Brighton & Hove City Council, the National Trust, English Heritage, Sussex Past, the South Downs National Park Authority, National Rail, the NHS, gov.uk or The MICHELIN Guide. MICHELIN distinctions are quoted only from the 2026 MICHELIN Guide Great Britain & Ireland. We use no ratings, and we leave out anything we can’t confirm.

Before you go

Opening hours, seasons and timetables change often. Please check directly with each place, and with official sources, before you travel. Prices are in pounds sterling (£).

For venues

Run a venue in Brighton and spotted something to update? We review our lists regularly and welcome corrections.

Photo credits

• The curving white terraces of Adelaide Crescent, Hove, around its garden, by Marathon, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The thatched, timber-framed Clergy House at Alfriston, by The Voice of Hassocks, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red seats, gilded tiers and ceiling of the auditorium of the Theatre Royal Brighton, by Ian Muttoo from Mississauga, Canada, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The towers of Arundel Castle against a blue sky, by Egjoni98, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The domes and minarets of the Royal Pavilion above its lawn under a clear blue sky, by Qmin, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A narrow brick-paved twitten of the Lanes lined with jewellers’ shopfronts, by Fry72, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The white cliffs of Beachy Head with the red-and-white lighthouse in the sea below, by Diliff, Papa Lima Whiskey (edit), licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Bodiam Castle reflected in its moat on a sunny day, by Elno78, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red-brick Booth Museum of Natural History on Dyke Road, by Hassocks5489, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The white Victorian façade and balconies of The Grand on the King’s Road, by Andy Li, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The white chalk cliffs of the Seven Sisters seen across the shingle of Cuckmere Haven, by PAUL FARMER, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The beech trees of Chanctonbury Ring above a chalk track on the South Downs, by Simon Burchell, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Chichester Cathedral and its spire above the gardens and walls of the Bishop’s Palace, by Evgeniy Podkopaev, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A Christmas tree under the glass dome of Churchill Square, by Andy Li, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red curtain and auditorium of the Duke of York’s Picturehouse, by Andy Li, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The white chalk cliffs of the Seven Sisters seen across the shingle of Cuckmere Haven, by PAUL FARMER, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The curving white terraces of Adelaide Crescent, Hove, around its garden, by Marathon, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The green slopes of Devil’s Dyke and the Weald beyond, by mattbuck (category), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The great dome and minarets of Brighton Dome under a blue sky, by Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red curtain and auditorium of the Duke of York’s Picturehouse, by Andy Li, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Eastbourne Pier and its domed pavilions reaching out over the sea, by Arild Vågen, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Fish and chips on the pebbles of Brighton beach, with the Palace Pier beyond, by Andy Li, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The wooden tiers of the Glyndebourne auditorium filled with an audience, by Neil Rickards from Hertford, England, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The white Victorian façade and balconies of The Grand on the King’s Road, by Andy Li, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A row of brightly painted beach huts on the promenade at Hove, by DaHuzyBru, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Herstmonceux Castle’s brick towers reflected in its moat, by Michael Coppins, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Jacobean south front of Blickling Hall, Norfolk, under a blue sky, by Stuart Logan, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Rowing boats and jetties on Derwentwater in the Lake District, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Great Dixter’s timber-framed house above the meadow garden, by Miles Berry, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The lake and Palladian bridge at Stourhead, Wiltshire, by Hamburg103a, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The domes and minarets of the Royal Pavilion in Brighton under a clear blue sky, by Qmin, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The white Victorian façade and balconies of The Grand on the King’s Road, by Andy Li, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The white Victorian façade and balconies of The Grand on the King’s Road, by Andy Li, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The cream Regency terraces of Brunswick Square and Brunswick Terrace above the lawns in Hove, by Hassocks5489, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The cream Regency terraces of Brunswick Square and Brunswick Terrace above the lawns in Hove, by Hassocks5489, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A row of brightly painted beach huts on the promenade at Hove, by DaHuzyBru, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The glass viewing pod of the Brighton i360 on its slender tower against a deep blue sky, by Andy Li, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The white Regency terraces of Sussex Square in Kemp Town, by Hassocks5489, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The white Regency terraces of Sussex Square in Kemp Town, by Hassocks5489, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A narrow brick-paved twitten of the Lanes lined with jewellers’ shopfronts, by Fry72, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A narrow brick-paved twitten of the Lanes lined with jewellers’ shopfronts, by Fry72, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The keep of Lewes Castle above the rooftops of the town, by Arild Vågen, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The white Victorian façade and balconies of The Grand on the King’s Road, by Andy Li, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Boats in the harbour of Brighton Marina under a dramatic sky, by Andy Li, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red-brick Victorian Metropole hotel on the King’s Road seafront, by The Voice of Hassocks, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The entrance porch of Brighton Museum & Art Gallery in the Royal Pavilion Garden, by PAUL FARMER, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Alhambra in Granada in the evening light, by Jebulon, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The floodlit Acropolis and Parthenon at dusk, seen from Philopappos Hill, by Giles Laurent, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The pink sand beach of Harbour Island, the Bahamas, by Rüdiger Stehn from Kiel, Deutschland, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The road winding out to the lighthouse on Cap de Formentor, Mallorca, above the open sea, by Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Grand Palace reflected at dawn, by Nawit science, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The golden sand and calm water of Paynes Bay, St. James, by Barry haynes, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Sagrada Família lit up at night, by Maksim Sokolov, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Belgrade's old town and the spire of the Cathedral Church of St Michael above the Sava at sunset, photo: © ULTIMATE International Media.
• The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin against a blue sky, by Berthold Werner, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Royal Pavilion in Brighton under a blue sky, by Qmin, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Romanian Athenaeum in its garden, by Jorge Franganillo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Hungarian Parliament lit up at night on the Danube, by Tom Ek, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Bixby Creek Bridge on the Big Sur coast, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A cruise ship in the Bay of Kotor, Montenegro, by Gzzz, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Burj Khalifa and Business Bay at blue hour, by Robert Bock, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A schooner silhouetted against the sunset off Key West, by Joe Parks from Berkeley, CA, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Aerial view of the white sand spit of Ses Illetes and Llevant, the salt pans and, across the strait, Ibiza and Es Vedrà, by Beni Marull, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Baie des Anges, Nice, by Tobi 87, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Blue domes of Oia above the Santorini caldera, by Norbert Nagel, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Helsinki Cathedral above the South Harbour, by Ввласенко, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hong Kong Island and the harbour at night from Victoria Peak, by Benh LIEU SONG (Flickr), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The walls of Dalt Vila and the cathedral above the harbour of Ibiza Town, in late sun, by Charles from Port Chester, New York, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hagia Sophia and its minarets in golden evening light, by Nserrano, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Las Vegas Strip at dusk, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Congress Square, Ljubljana, with the castle on its hill behind, by Petar Milošević, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Palace of Westminster and the Elizabeth Tower lit at dusk across the Thames, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Downtown Los Angeles at sunset beneath the snow-capped San Gabriel Mountains, by Alek Leckszas, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Metrópolis building at the start of the Gran Vía, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• La Seu, Palma’s Gothic cathedral, and the Almudaina above the old sea wall, seen from the Parc de la Mar, by Enric, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• An aerial view of a small island ringed by reef in the Maldives, by Luka Peternel, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Valletta’s honey-coloured skyline, with the dome of the Carmelite church and the spire of St Paul’s, above the harbour at sunset, by Olga Prystai, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Yachts in Puerto Banús, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Turquoise water below the pine-topped cliffs at Cala Macarella, Menorca, by Markus Trienke, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Art Deco hotels on Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, by Robbschultz69, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Monaco from above, Port Hercule and Monte-Carlo below the mountains, by Spike, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Taj Mahal Palace and the Gateway of India from the harbour, by iMahesh, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sunset at the Naples Pier, by pmarkham, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The New York City skyline from Top of the Rock, by Dillan Payne, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Millennium Bridge over the Morača, by Desemeus, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gardens, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, by Berthold Werner, edit by Böhringer, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red carriages of the Glacier Express crossing the stone arches of the Landwasser Viaduct below a snow-capped peak, by Kabelleger / David Gubler, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Church of St John at Kaneo above Lake Ohrid, North Macedonia, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Golden Gate Bridge seen from Battery Spencer, by Christoph Strässler, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Sebilj fountain and the square of Baščaršija, by Yukof, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Lujiazui skyline lit up at night across the Huangpu River, by King of Hearts, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The towers of the Central Business District lit up at night, reflected in Marina Bay, by Bijay Chaurasia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Matterhorn in winter above Zermatt, by JoachimKohler-HB, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Warrior on a Horse fountain in Macedonia Square, Skopje, lit at night, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia, under a pink evening sky, by Jose Ligero Loarte, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A caparisoned elephant in the Esala Perahera procession, Kandy, by Daniel Liabeuf, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Gros Piton and Petit Piton, the twin volcanic spires of the UNESCO-listed Pitons, by xiquinhosilva, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Longtail boats on West Railay beach beneath the limestone cliffs, by Krzysztof Golik, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The restored Pyramid of Tirana under a blue sky, by BBB2021, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Rolling green hills and a farmhouse near Pienza in the Val d’Orcia, by Tom Ek, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Calatrava’s Hemisfèric lit at twilight, reflected in its pool, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The tiled roof of St Stephen’s Cathedral and the rooftops of central Vienna, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• St Mark's Church and its tiled roof on St Mark's Square, Zagreb's Upper Town, by Jorge Láscar from Australia, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The entrance porch of Brighton Museum & Art Gallery in the Royal Pavilion Garden, by PAUL FARMER, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The brick arches of the Ouse Valley Viaduct striding across green fields, by Dmitry Djouce, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Geese on the lawn beside the pond in Queen’s Park, by Andy Li, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The domes and minarets of the Royal Pavilion above its lawn under a clear blue sky, by Qmin, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Gilded candelabra, a clock and mirrors in a state room of the Royal Pavilion, by HJ Mitchell, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Brighton Palace Pier and its domed pavilions seen from the pebble beach, by Arild Vågen, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The white front of Preston Manor among its gardens, by Jnicho02, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The white front of Preston Manor among its gardens, by Jnicho02, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The white Regency terraces of Sussex Square in Kemp Town, by Hassocks5489, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Geese on the lawn beside the pond in Queen’s Park, by Andy Li, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The cream Regency terraces of Brunswick Square and Brunswick Terrace above the lawns in Hove, by Hassocks5489, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Fish and chips on the pebbles of Brighton beach, with the Palace Pier beyond, by Andy Li, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The black smock windmill on Beacon Hill above Rottingdean under a blue sky, by Ssjwalker, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The iron skeleton of the ruined West Pier standing in the sea, by Christine Matthews, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Victorian clock tower and entrance of SEA LIFE Brighton on Madeira Drive, by Hassocks5489, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The white chalk cliffs of the Seven Sisters seen across the shingle of Cuckmere Haven, by PAUL FARMER, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A narrow brick-paved twitten of the Lanes lined with jewellers’ shopfronts, by Fry72, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The beech trees of Chanctonbury Ring above a chalk track on the South Downs, by Simon Burchell, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Cattle grazing on the open downland of the South Downs Way, by Andy Li, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The curved Victorian iron-and-glass train shed of Brighton station, by Andy Li, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red seats, gilded tiers and ceiling of the auditorium of the Theatre Royal Brighton, by Ian Muttoo from Mississauga, Canada, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A Southern electric train on the tracks in the Sussex countryside, by andreboeni, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The curved Victorian iron-and-glass train shed of Brighton station, by Andy Li, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The iron skeleton of the ruined West Pier standing in the sea, by Christine Matthews, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The iron skeleton of the ruined West Pier standing in the sea, by Christine Matthews, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Christmas lights strung across Bond Street in the North Laine, by Andy Li, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Christmas lights strung across Bond Street in the North Laine, by Andy Li, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Christmas lights over Gardner Street in the North Laine, by Andy Li, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Christmas lights over Gardner Street in the North Laine, by Andy Li, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.